EEOC Settles Disability Bias Suit With Car Dealer
Schumacher Auto Group will pay $112,500 and adopt accommodation policies under a four-year consent decree after firing an employee on cancer-related leave.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Special Education
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Schumacher Auto Group, a Palm Beach County car dealership company, agreed to pay $112,500 in compensatory damages to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The company terminated an accounting clerk in May 2024 while she was on leave recovering from cancer-related surgery.
Why it matters
The case shows how an employee's request for temporary work restrictions can lead to legal exposure when an employer ends employment instead of accommodating the request. The consent decree requires the company to change its practices and report accommodation requests to federal regulators for four years.
The settlement totals $112,500 in compensatory damages, and the four-year consent decree requires disability discrimination training for managers and employees. The employee had requested a five-pound lifting restriction and no repetitive squatting, bending or lifting for three weeks before her termination.
The players
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination, including disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and that filed this lawsuit.
Schumacher Auto Group
A Palm Beach County car dealership company that agreed to the settlement and consent decree after terminating an employee during cancer-related leave.
The details
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida after administrative conciliation failed to resolve the matter. The consent decree requires Schumacher to provide regular disability discrimination training and to report complaints and accommodation requests to the EEOC.
Timeline
May 2024: Schumacher terminated the accounting clerk while she was on cancer-related leave.
November 5, 2026: The EEOC announced the settlement and consent decree.
Legal Context
The settlement enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act's reasonable accommodation requirements through an EEOC lawsuit and four-year consent decree. Cases like this one show how federal enforcement agencies use consent decrees to require employers to change hiring, leave and accommodation practices.
Employees who need temporary work restrictions after medical treatment can request reasonable accommodations and should keep records of those requests and any employer response. Employers in Florida can review the EEOC's disability-related resources to understand how the ADA applies to leave and return-to-work decisions.
The takeaway
Employees returning from medical leave may be entitled to reasonable accommodations, and employers that decline to consider them can face federal enforcement. Employees who believe they were treated unfairly can file a charge with the EEOC.
Further reading
For related context on workplace accommodation rights, see Special Education coverage across Florida.
More information
Review the EEOC disability discrimination resources for guidance on workplace accommodation rights.
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